Skip to main content

Territorial Economics

Theory and Practice

  • 1st Edition - November 1, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Authors: Luca Salvati, Alessandro Muolo
  • Language: English

Territorial Economics: Theory and Practice is a groundbreaking textbook on territorial economics gives a valuable overview of economic dynamics, urbanization, and regional develo… Read more

Description

Territorial Economics: Theory and Practice is a groundbreaking textbook on territorial economics gives a valuable overview of economic dynamics, urbanization, and regional development. Representing a significant contribution to discipline, this book focuses on territorial economics, distinct from traditional regional economics frameworks. By examining space, regions, and cities as essential components of an ‘economics of places', the book explores the connections between applied economics and regional science. It covers the complexities of globalization and regionalization and emphasizes the increasing importance of territorial economics from both positive and normative viewpoints. The initial chapters of this textbook on territorial economics explore the concept of 'territory' in economic development and analyze regional economic systems' role in spatial planning. Subsequent chapters cover agricultural spaces, environmental sustainability, regional disparities, and land-use challenges. The book concludes with a focus on data sources, variables, and indicators essential for applied economics. Integrating urban studies, demographic dynamics, and environmental assessment, it provides a holistic view of economic dynamics and spatial planning. Territorial Economics: Theory and Practice serves as a vital resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying economic geography, urban studies, and related fields. It is also beneficial for researchers and professionals in territorial economics, urban planning, and environmental policy. This textbook offers additional resources such as case studies and spreadsheets to support student learning and facilitate classroom discussions.

Key features

  • Introduces a pioneering perspective on 'territorial economics' for economic geography studies
  • Explores the essentials of space, regions, and cities in an 'economics of places' framework
  • Addresses the link between applied economics, regional science, and territorial economics
  • Focuses on land-use challenges, regional disparities, and territorial governance strategies
  • Offers practical examples, questions, and simplified exercises using official statistics to enhance understanding of local economics

Readership

Students in undergraduate courses on Economic Geography/Territorial Economics

Table of contents

1. Space, Regions, Cities: Essentials in the ‘economics of places’

2. Applied economics and regional science

3. Globalization and the region: The rising importance of ‘territorial economics’

4. From ‘global’ cities to ‘local’ tows: emerging paradigms in urbanization and economic growth

5. Between morphology and functions: Settlements models, urban growth, and the uneven expansion of metropolitan regions

6. Diversification, resilience, crisis

7. Looking at the other side of the fringe: agricultural spaces and rural development

8. The land-use conundrum: regional disparities, landscapes, and territorial governance

9. Data sources, Variables, Indicators. A primer in official statistics for applied economics

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: November 1, 2026
  • Language: English

About the authors

LS

Luca Salvati

Luca Salvati is an Associate (staff) professor of applied economics and economic statistics at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Since 2001 he has been staff researcher at the National Council for Research in Agriculture and the Analysis of Agricultural Economics (CREA). He is an expert in official statistics, spatial statistics, Geographic Information Systems and Remote sensing applied to socioeconomic and environmental issues. He has conducted studies on topics of economic statistics, urban economics, regional demography, and sustainable development, using exploratory multivariate statistics and geographic information systems for decision support. He has held courses in Economic Statistics (University of Rome Tor Vergata), Basic Mathematics (University of Rome La Sapienza), Multivariate Statistics (University of Roma Tre), Regional Economics (University of Camerino, University of Eastern Piedmont), Strategic Evaluation of environmental impact (University of Roma Tre). He has supervised master's and doctoral theses and has published more than 30 printed books and over 600 scientific publications in English.

Affiliations and expertise
Associate (staff) professor of applied economics and economic statistics at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

AM

Alessandro Muolo

Alessandro Muolo is a PhD candidate in Applied Economics at the Department of Methods and Models for Economics, Territory, and Finance (MEMOTEF), Faculty of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. His research focuses on regional economic development and spatial economics, contributing to the understanding of economic processes and their spatial dimensions. Alessandro is dedicated to advancing knowledge in the field of territorial economics through rigorous analysis and innovative methodologies.
Affiliations and expertise
PhD candidate in Applied Economics, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L'Aquila, Italy